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Oct

Samsung Adds iPhone 5 To Lawsuit Complaint: The Patent Wars Are Far From Over

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in News, Samsung

If you hate to read these stories, imagine how much we hate to write them: yet another volley has been tossed in the patent battle between Samsung and Apple. This time it's the Korean manufacturer taking its intellectual property guns out against Apple, claiming that the shiny new iPhone 5 violates eight of its software patents.

Samsung claims six utility patents and two standard essential patents. The later (USPTO filings 7,551,596 and 7,756,087) have to do with data transfers on mobile networks, while the former (USPTO 7,672,470, 7,577,757, 7,232,058, 6,292,179, 6,226,449, and 5,579,239) are more varied, ranging from audio streaming and control to keyboard and voice inputs.

Aug

Documents Reveal That Apple Asked Samsung For Up To $30 Per Phone And $40 Per Tablet For Patent Licenses

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Android OS, Legal, News, Samsung

As most of our readers are surely aware, the Apple vs Samsung case is still boiling, and over the course of nearly two weeks since the trial's beginning, document after document has revealed juicy details from both sides regarding previously unreleased designs, plans, and even sales figures. While so far we've avoided piecemeal coverage of the case's twists and turns, a new development (reported earlier this evening by The Verge) reveals something particularly interesting.

We've known for some time that Apple attempted to sell Samsung on patent licensing back in 2010, but according to a document released today (and the testimony of Apple Exec Boris Teksler), Apple had proposed specific dollar figures per license – up to $30 per Phone and $40 per tablet, to which (according to Apple's slide deck) "Samsung should respond favorably." According to the proposal, Samsung would be responsible for a base rate of $30 per touchscreen phone (including phones running Android, Windows, Symbian, and Bada) and $40 per tablet (which would decrease to just $30 over two years).

Jun

Apple Opted Not To Delay Samsung Galaxy S III Launch... So That The Case Goes To Trial Sooner

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Galaxy S III, News

According to the ~~always~~ ~~sometimes~~ occasionally reliable FOSS patents, Apple made a conscious decision to allow Samsung to launch the Galaxy S III on time... so that the case could go to trial sooner. Apple had the option of filing a temporary restraining order to potentially stop the shipment of the SGSIII, but doing so would've been a risk for a few reasons.

Because Apple and Samsung are still in litigation over the Galaxy Nexus, Apple could attempt to stop shipment of the GSIII using a temporary restraining order (TRO). In order for the TRO to be granted, Apple would have to prove that there aren't enough technical differences between the two phones; consequently, by their logic, the GSIII should be tied up as well.

Mar

Judge Decides Apple Doesn't Really Need All The Android Development Details, Tells Apple To Make Request Less Vague And Broad

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Motorola, News

Two weeks ago, the judge in Apple's case against Motorola ordered Google and Moto to hand over details on Android development. Naturally, Motorola appealed, and managed to change Judge Posner's mind. While the company isn't getting away scot-free (or at least, not yet), he did say that "[Apple's] motion is vague and overbroad and Motorola's objections are persuasive." In other words, Apple needs to tone down their request and make sure things are relevant and specific (or in my words, "Apple needs to stop requesting all the shit they can think of").

Presumably from here Apple will try to narrow things down as little as possible to get the request to hold, at which point Motorola will appeal it and both sides will hope for the best (before doing it all over).

Feb

Apple Still Trying To Sue The World Into Oblivion With A Fresh Suit Against 17 Samsung Devices Infringing Upon 8 Apple Patents; In Other News, Sky Blue, Water Wet

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in News, Samsung

Last week, we found out that Apple was bringing a fresh suit against Samsung - specifically, seeking a preliminary injunction against the Galaxy Nexus over four patents. Now the official complaint document has been posted by the court, and it turns out the suit is aimed at a lot more than just the beloved GNex, and involves more than the four patents initially mentioned. In fact, Apple explicitly names seventeen Samsung devices and cites eight of its patents.

The patents in question:

Or, for those of you that prefer things in text (also, so that you can copy and paste them elsewhere for the purpose of mockery):

System and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data

Universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system

Unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image

Method, system, and graphical user interface for providing word recommendations

Missed telephone call management for a portable multifunction device

Graphical user interface using historical lists with field classes

Asynchronous data synchronization amongst devices

Universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system

The 17(+) devices in question:

Phones
- US SGSII series: Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy S II - T-Mobile, Galaxy S II - AT&T
- Galaxy Nexus
- Illusion
- Captivate Glide
- Exhibit II 4G
- Stratosphere
- Transform Ultra
- Admire
- Conquer 4G
- Dart
Media Players/Tablets
- Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0
- Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and Galaxy Tab 8.9

^{I CAN SEE THE INFRINGEMENT FROM HERE.}

Feb

Apple Seeks Preliminary Injunction Against Galaxy Nexus In U.S. Based On The "Four Horsemen" Of Patents

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Galaxy Nexus, Legal, News

Apple is at it again, bringing a motion for preliminary injunction against Samsung's Galaxy Nexus in the United States Thursday. The motion is based on a handful of powerful patents, which FOSS Patents has labeled "the patent equivalent of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Here's FOSS' breakdown:

the "data tapping" patent based on which the ITC ordered an import ban against HTC

a patent related to Siri and unified search, which must be of huge concern to Google with a view to its core business

a new slide-to-unlock patent that even had the head of the Taiwanese government profoundly worried

a word completion patent that provides major speed improvements for touchscreen text entry

Three of the above patents were apparently granted only recently (after September 2011), while the "data tapping" patent may sound familiar to those who followed Apple's case to the ITC against HTC.

Jan

Apple Files Two New Lawsuits Against Samsung In Germany: One Against 10 Phones, The Other Against 5 Tablets

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Legal, News, Samsung

The ridiculous and wasteful patent war continues, with a German court confirming that Apple has filed two new suits against Samsung. The first is against 10 phones including the SGSII, and the second against 5 tablets. Details are light at the moment, but evidently Apple is using these two (unsurprisingly very vague) patents in the smartphone suit:

Yes, seriously - their patents are basically for a shape. Readers familiar with the current lawsuit situation in the tech world know the situation is violently out of control, and close followers of AP have heard my thoughts on just how hypocritical and ridiculous Apple is.

Dec

Apple's Plan To Sue The Pants Off Everyone Backfires: European Judge Issues Injunction, Rules That 3G-Enabled Apple Products Infringe On Motorola Patent

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in Motorola, News

In case you're unaware, Apple is in the process of suing just about everyone it competes with in the tablet/phone field. There's an abundance of irony in the entire situation - the most substantial of which I covered when Apple complained that Samsung and Motorola were anticompetitive because of their patents - but things just (at least, temporarily) took a turn for the awesome. A judge in Germany has ruled that 3G-enabled Apple products (including the iPhone, iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, iPad 3G, and iPad 2 3G, but not specifically the iPhone 4S) infringe on a Motorola patent. Consequently, the judge has issued a preliminary injunction against Apple, resulting in a Europen sales ban on the aforementioned iPhones and iPads.

Dec

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Motorola, And Apple Are Also Sued Alongside HTC, Samsung, And CarrierIQ In A New Class Action Lawsuit

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in AT&T, HTC, Motorola, News, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile

Yesterday, we caught early wind of two class action lawsuits filed against CarrierIQ, HTC, and Samsung in Chicago and St. Louis. You can now add a whole new class action suit to the pile, except this time it also names AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Motorola, and Apple in addition to the aforementioned three companies.

Led by law firms from Delaware and New Jersey - Sianni & Straite LLP, Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow & McElroy LLP, and Keefe Bartels L.L.C. - the lawsuit "asserts that three cell phone providers (T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T) and four manufacturers of cell phones (HTC, Motorola, Apple and Samsung) violated the Federal Wiretap Act, the Stored Electronic Communications Act, and the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act." CarrierIQ is not named in that quote, but it is listed in the press release's title, so don't worry - the whole gang is included.

Oct

Amazon's Upcoming Tablet Already 'Under Fire' For Patent Violations

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Kindle Fire, News

What do you do if you're a known patent troll and a major company announces a new device that is sure to sell millions of units? Try to sue the heck out of them, of course. That's exactly what's going on with Amazon's upcoming Kindle Fire, the still-unreleased tablet from the online retail giant.

The story goes a little something like this: Amazon announces the Fire for an ultra-affordable price. Everyone is happy and wants this new device, so pre-orders are through the roof. Acacia hears about this amazing new technology and, being an innovation-stifling patent troll, decides to hit Amazon with some patent violations.